Latch



N. LEE.

LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED IIIAY I0. i919.'

Patented July 13, 1920.

Il". Il' 77 III Il IIII f f .IIIlllIlilllilIlll UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

NIXON LEE, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

NATIONAL SEAL COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK. i

0F BROOKLYN, NEW' YORK, A CORPORATION LATCH.

Application filed May 10, 1919.

laccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to latches used particularly in doors formotor-cars or other road vehicles, and the objects of my invention are,among other things, to provide anV improved latch ofrthis type which,Vwhen the door is closed, will adapt itself readily to the elasticity ofthe motor car body, and in which the several movable elements of thelatch are held yieldingly under spring pressure so as to avoid anylooseness or rattling of the door as well as of the component parts ofthe latch itself.v A further object of my invention is to simplify andcheapen the construction. of latches of this type without loss ofefficiency inV operation7 or in theircoaction with the striker plate ofthe car body when the door is closed.

Further advantages and functions of my 'improved latch will hereinafterbe more particularly set forth, and a preferred embo`diment of myinvention is yillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1is an interior elevation of my improved latch;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrow;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 shown in Fig.1; Y

Fig. 4V is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 shown inFig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view; and j Fig. 6 is a perspective view showingthe shape and configuration of a preferred form of a sliding actuatingplatemember.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.j

Referring to the drawings the latch` casing 7 has one end bent at asuitable angle to form the face 8 and to provide with thel frame 9secured to the casing 7 a suitable incasement to support and hold thevarious parts of the` latch, or lock in position. The face 8 has formedtherein a guide opening Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920. semi No. 296,048.

10 for a bolt-head passage from within the incasement; the latching-bolt11 provided with the customary beveled head 12 projects normally throughthe guide opening 10 to engage with the striker' plate (not shown) ofthe car body through the tension Vof the coil spring 13, the inner endof which spring .bears against the inner end" of the frame 9 and theother end bears within the recess 14 formed in the innerend ofthe bolt11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Above the latching-bolt 11 is arrangedthe sliding plate member 15 shown in Vperspective in Fig. 6*; this plate15 has the integrally formed lugs 16 projecting laterally through thetwo slots 17 formed in therframe 9 which serve to preserve the verticalalinenient' of the plate within the incasement. The plate member 15 hasalso the integral depending lug 18 projecting downwardly to coact withthe bolt 11 within the cutaway portion 19 formed therein as shown inFigs. 1 and 4. The spring 20 having the pins 21 and 22 contained withinits coils to hold the spring in lateral alinement bears against the lug18 and the frame 9 as shown in Fig. 1, and normally holds the plate 15in itsextrerne forward position toward the left.

The vertical hand-lever 23 to retract the latching-bolt 11 within theincascment is mounted on the shaft 24 suitably journaled in the casing 7as shown in Fig. 3; and this shaft 24 carries within the incasement thevertically swinging arm 25 which is adapted to coact with, and pressinwardly, the projecting shoulder 26 integrally formed with the platemember 15. When the plate member 15 is in its outermostV position asshown in Fig. 1, the arm" 25 is held firmly against the lug 27 by thestress of the spring 20 acting through the shoulder 26. Thelatching-bolt 11 may also be retracted by suitable knobs or keys (notshown) secured to the shaft 28 whichcarries the vertically swinging arm29 adapted to coact with, and press inwardly, `the projecting shoulder30 integrally formed in the plate member 15. When the plate member 15 isin its left Vhand position shown lin 1;

the arm 29 is pressed forwardly against the the movable parts of mylatch it is also apparent that when the door is'closed and thelatcliing-bolt ll projected within the recess ofthe striker plate by thespring 13, the sliding plate l5 presses yieldingly through the spring 2Otoward the left, and, byl 'its shoulders 26 and 30 bearing against theswinging arms 25 and 29 respectively holds the latter snugly underspring pressure against the lug 27 and inner 'surface of the face 8respectively. These arms25 and 29, being so held under spring pressure,serve tohold the sha-ft 24 and hand lever 23 as well as the shaft withthe actuatingknobs or keys against undesirable looseness and rattling.By this improved construction it is obvious that all the actuatingelements of my latch are yieldingly held under spring pressure when thebolt head l2 is Vprojected through the guide opening 10, and that eitherthe. hand lever 28 or the knobs acting on the shaft 28 may be usedinterchangeably in retracting the bolt l1 and plate l5 against springpressure. c.

It should also be noted that the latching bolt 1l may be retractedagainst the tension ofthe spring 13 by its beveled head l2 coacting`with the striker plate without mov# ing laterally the sliding-plate15,*the depending lug18 moving yto the left through thecutaway portion19, or the bolt 1l may be retracted in the ordinary manner either by thehand lever "23 or by the knobs or keys rotating the shaft 2.8 by havingthe lug lSpress against the inner face of the cutawayV portion .19- ofthe bolt in which case all the movable parts would besupported and heldin their respective operative positions under the yielding pressure ofboth springs 13 and 20.

. It will be understood that the latch herein shown and described is apreferred embodimentof my invention and that the same may be modifiedandchanged in its various deftails without departing from the principlevfio Y -spring constantly forcing said bolt intoits and scope' ofmyinvention and without sacrilicing any of its advantages.

I cla-im as my invention Y -1. A latch'coinprising a latchingfbolt, aspringconstantly forcing said bolt into its Aextended position, aunitary laterally sliding member bearing against said bolt only to re- Ytract samea second` spring connected with said unitary member to holdthe latter under outward spring pressure in all positionsv of saidlatching-bolt, and means, 'comprising a pair Vof independently operableswinging arms,y each yieldingly held in inoperative positionbysaidsecond spring, to actuate said.

sliding member against both of said springs -toretract said bolt. y Y Yn 2.7Av latch comprising a latching-boln'a extended position, a unitarylaterally slidsaid bolt.

extended position, a unitary laterally sliding member bearingagainstsaidfbolt only to retract same, V a second spring `connected withsaid unitary member to-liold the latter under outward spring pressure inallvpositions o f said la-tchiiig-bolt, and means, comprising a pair ofspaced-apart,- independently operable, vertically swinging arms eachyield# ingly` held in inoperative position by said second spring, toVactuate saidV sliding inember against both of saidisprings to retracte. A ltcli comprising Va.latcliiiig-bolt, a

spring constantly forcing said bolt into its `extended position, aunitary laterally'sl'iding member bearing against said bolt'only toretract same, a second spring connected'with said unitary member tolioldthe latter under outward spring pressure in all positions of saidlatching-bolt means,fcomprising a pair of independently operableswingingarms, to actuate said sliding member against both of said springs toretractk said bolt,'and" stops against which each of said armsisyieldingly held by saidsecond spring when in their retractedposition.A

5. A latch comprising a latching-bolt, a

spring constantly forcing said bolt into its extended position, aunitary laterally sliding member bearing againstsaid bolt only toretract saine, a` second spring connected with said unitary member tohold the latter under outward Vspring pressure in all positions of saidlatching-boltbo,th springsbeing ar ranged in mutual parallelism withinthe latch, and means, comprising avpair of independently operableswinging arms` each Vyieldingly heldin inoperative position by saidsecond spring, to separably actuate said sliding member against'both ofsaid springs to retract said bolt. l

6. A latch comprising alatching-bolt, a

Vs )rinV consta-ntl y forcinmsaid bolt into its l g Y .s

extended positioma unitary laterally sliding member bearing againstsaid. bolt only to retractsame, a second spring connected with Vsaidunitary v.member to hold the latter under outward spring pressure in allpositions of said latching-bolt, both springsfbeing ar- Y ranged inmutual f parallelism within the latch, andmeans,comprising a pair ofindependently operable vertically swinging arms each yieldingly held ininoperative position by said second Spring, to separably actuate saidSliding member against both of said springs to retract said bolt.

7. A latch comprising` a latcningbolt, a spring constantly forcing saidbolt into its extended position, a unitary laterally sliding memberbearing` against said bolt only to retract same, a second springconnected with said unitary member to hold the latter under l0 outwardspring pressure in all positions of Said latchingbolt` both Springsbeing arranged in mutual parallelism, and means, comprising a pair ofspaced-apart, independently operable vertically swinging arms eachyieldingly held in inoperative position by said Second spring, toseparably `actuate said Sliding member against bot-l1 of said springs toretract Said bolt.

N IXON LEE.

